Steering device for vehicles



T. E. GEIGER. STEERING DEVICE FOR VEHICLES. APPLICATION FILED AUG-27,1919.

1,366,123. Patented Jan. 18,1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

N T L n o 'grwenlor Trac 4 56 T. E. GEIGER. STEERING DEVICE FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-27, I919.

Patented Jan. 18, 1921.

2 SHFFTR-SHEET 2- Traces E6 "read? 1:. screen, or TROY, (mm,

s'rnnnme nnvicn r03. VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent. LP t t d 18 1921 Application filed August 27, 1919. "Serial No. 320,170, i

To all whom it man concern .1

Be it y-known t at I, TRACY a citizen of theUnited States, residing at Troy, in the county of Miami andState of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steering Devices for Vehicles, of which the following is a specifica: tion, reference being had therein; to the accompanying drawing. V

This invention relates to steering devices for vehicles and has for its particularobject to provide improved steering mechanism for trailer vehicles, theinvention in its present form being especiallyapplicable to trailers attached to leading automobiles.

r In trailers of this character the steering conditions are different from those applying to the steering of an automobile inasmuch as the steering must be done throughnconnections to the leading truck andnot direct or independentlyas in thecasoof an automobile. 1 y a u A great'difiiculty found in the steermg of trailers arises from the effect produced upon the steering wheels by the up and down movements and unequal side sway ofhthe trailer frame or body which may be produced various causes, such as traveling over an uneven road, or unequal distribu tion of theload carried by the trailer.

It has beencommon practice to use mechanism for steering trailers of thetype ordi- This is obviously a correct the defecthas been a problem, the

.narily used for steering automobiles,comprising mounting of the steering wheels on journals pivotedto a fixed axle, steering arms secured to the journals and connected by a common tie bar, ordinary drag links being usually connected to the ends of the as bar. With this type of steering apparatus applied it has been found in practice wheels, inwardly or outwardly, according as the movement ofthe framemay be up and down. Thus to the extent of deflection in either directionthe'wheels are forced outof alinement with each other and with the general line of travel.

solution of which has been sought by manu facturers and users of automobile trailers ever since they have come into common use,

baa condition and, to

butno complete solution of the problem has heretofore been found A marked improvement in trailer steering mechanlsmsof this character is disclosed in Patent No. 1,262,771, issued to me April 16, 1918, and asslgned tothe assignees of the present lnventlon. A further improvement 1n the same general type of steering mechanismcomprised in the invention of the above patent forms the subject matterof the pres ent IIIVBIIUOIL. i

The improvement and present invention consist in pivoting the steering drew her to the trailer frame substantially above and as here shown. in vertical alinement with the fixed axle of the front truck; in extending the draw bar rearwardly of its pivotal conmotion to the frame to a point substantially beyond the ends of the; rearwardly extending steering arms of the wheel journals, the

drag links being disposed between the steering arms and the rearward end of the draw bar andnncllned upwardly and outwardly at then: inner ends and connected to the end of the'draw bar by a compensating link, the p steer ng t e bar being connected to the steer- 111g arms intermediate their ends and the wheel journals. y i

. By this arrangement the steering wheels are held substantially in exact alinement with each other by'the tie bar and the end thrust ofthe drag links and deflection of 1 the wheels caused by the up and down move ment and side sway of the frame is materiallyreduced by the equalizationof the are through whichthe inner ends of the drag links are moved. WVith theforegoing statement of the ob.-

jects and functional operations of my invention the mechanical construction and operainthe operationof trailers that the constantly variable movements jof thetrailer frame relative to the steering mechanism 451and steering wheels, acts to deflect the tion thereof will be readily understood from the drawings and the following detailed description of the construction shown therein. Figure lis a plan view of the front truck and a portion of the frame of a trailer to which the present invention has been ap- F'gL Q is a rear elevation of the construction'shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a detail verti al sectional view taken on the line 3-3of Fig. 2.

A's here shown, the front truck consists of the usual fixed axle 1, having .yokes 2 formed in its outer ends in which the verticalwheel journals 3 are supported. Wheels 4 are supported onhorizontal spindles in l the usual manner.- and have the required movement about the journals 3 to permit of the steering movements thereof. Rigidly secured to the ournals 3 are rearwardly extending steering arms Gjoined together in:

termediate their ends and the journals 3 by a tie bar 7 which serves to hold the wheels in substantially exact alinement witheach other butfree to move relatively to the axle l and. the general direction of travel in the turning or steering operations thereof.

Itv willrbeseen that but for the presence and coordinationof the. tie rod 7 with the compensating link and steering rods, the wheels would be uncontrollable because of V the freedom of the compensating link to turn ron its.pivotwithout any movement of 'themlra'w bar. Therefore, without the tie rod 7 the result obtained bythe distance between the draw bar pivot and the'connectionof-the' steering links with the draw bar, as. compared'with the distance from the-wheelswivel to the point on the steeringarmsgwhere the steering rods are connected with 1t, would not be possible. But

this cotirdination. of the several parts gives 7 V the improved result sought;

A detail of thetrailer irame isshown at extends rearwardly to afpoint substantially beyond a centerline drawn through the end bearings of the steering arms 6.- V

The drag links 1a are disposed at an upward andoutward anglebetween the draw bar and the steering arms 6, andconnected to the draw bar by means of a compensating link 15 which, as hereshown, is connected 1 to the draglinks by ball and'soclret joints 145 ,16 and to the draw barbya pivot bolt 17 the drag' links being connected to the steersteering wheels." I V From the toregoing detailed- .the construction 7 proved steering mechanism will be readily ing arms by ball and socket joints 18. The

ball and socket joints ld and 18 serve to further compensate for the variable up and down movements of'the'dra-w bar and thus tor-further m nimize the" deflection ofthe description and operation of; the imunderstood. :iVhile the construction here shown is a preferred form in which the objectsof my invention may be realized, it will'be understood that substantial departures maybe made from the details of construction without departingtrom the underlying principle and the spirit of the invent1on.- r The. invention consists essentially in the construction. and arrangement'of a trailer between.

The use of automobile trailers is being rapidly extended "for various purposes including the carrying oi passengers. It is, therefore, essential commercially that a construction and. operation of steering apparatus be provided whereby swaying of the vehicles, especially when used for carrying passengers, will be minimized to insure both the comfort and safety of the passengers. These objectshave been sought and realized in the present invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:--

1. In a trailer, the combination, with a body to carry the load, and a draw bar pivoted thereto, of an axle, ground wheels swiveled to the axle and having steering arms, a rod connecting said arms together, and steering rods connected to each steering arm and both to the draw bar, the point of connection of said rods to the draw bar being farther from the draw bar pivot than the point of connection of said rods to the arms is from the center of the wheel swivels.

2. In trailer, the combination, with a main frame iior carrying the load, and a draw bar pivoted thereto and having a rearward extension projecting beyond the pivot, of sup 'aorting axle for the frame, wheels swiveled to said axle and having steering arms. a tie rod connecting said arms. together at a point intermediate their ends, and steering rods connected one to each steering arm and both to said rearward extension of the draw bar, the point of connection of the steering rods with the draw bar extensionbeing farther from the draw bar pivot than is the point of connection of the connecting links with the steering arms from the center of the wheel pivots, for the purpose described.

'3. In a trailer, the combination, with a frame for carrying the load, and a draw bar pivoted thereto and having an extension rearward of its pivot, of an axle for supportingthe frame, wheels swiveled thereto and having steering arms, av rod connecting said arms together at points intermediate their ends, a compensating link pivoted to the draw-bar extension and spring rods connected to said link and to the steering arms, the radius from the draw bar pivot'to the link pivoted to the draw bar extension being greater than the radius from the wheel pivots to the connection of the steering arms with the steering rods, for the purpose described; a

4. In a trailer the combination with a frame to carry the load, a draw bar pivoted to the frame and having a rearward extension inclined downward, of an axle, Wheels sWiveled thereto the axle being substantially under the draw bar pivot steering arms to control the wheels extending rearward and somewhat upward, a oompensat ing link pivoted at the lower side of the rear extension of the draw bar, steerin rods pivoted to the steering arms and inc ining rearward and pivoted to the compensating link, such steering rods being in the plane between the steering arms and the compensating link, and a tie rod interconnecting the steering arms, all for the purpose set' forth.

In testimony whereof I aflix m si ature.

TRACY E; E1 ER. 

